Could we dive off this?

[paulpizmo]

I have an all around boat. It's a Monterey 253 deck boat. Enough room for playing on the Colorado River with 12 people, and for taking cruise over to Catalina Island with 4 additional divers and their gear. It has a swim step which doubles as a great diving platform, a head for the old lady, and 17 gallons of fresh water for an equipment rinse. I put a killer sound system on it and play a CD with the Jaws theme for any newbies when we're out in the Pacific. I have a range of about 200 miles with 60 gallons of fuel ($180 pre tank ouch). Also a lot of storage space. I'm about to mount a hardwired marine radio and GPS combo. I can wakeboard and tube off of it. The kids have a blast.

No one boat does it all but you have to list the things that you like to do and what you are willing to trade off. It your going out on the ocean/saltwater, the most important thing is the drive. It should be stainless steel prop (I have a volvo with the dual prop) and have a good flush system also don't make the mistake I did, get a, spend the extra 1000 and get the galvanized trailer. For me, This was the best combo. I'm going to the river on Sunday for 4 days then on Sept 6th It diving in Catalina.

Good luck and have a great time

 

[JustinW]

There are lots of different leisure boats like you were looking at that can go into the ocean. However, you should avoid rough conditions as those boats typically are not designed for swells. Check out Proline boats, they have a few leisure boats with a deep-V that will probably work for all of your uses. As with any boat, there will be modifications for your personal use.

 

[Nemrod]

I did not realize you were in England. You may wish to look at an an offshore cuddy instead of an offshore center console. There are several brands that are excellent boats in both styles. I have a BW 190 because it is unsinkable, tough, even if swamped it has the capacity to self bail and then because the engine is still high out of the water even when swamped it can be powered back up on to the surface--only a few other brands can actually do that.
If you take a small boat out into the ocean it better be built and intended to take a beating, withstand weather and bring you back safe---everytime--over and over. That little lake boat you linked to is not a salt water boat.
Center consoles can be provided with forward canvass shelters, porti pottis and all that. They have tons of room, were built for the ocean, generally have deep vee type hulls, extra floatation and all that.
My BW 190 is the perfect size for me due to compromises of trailering long distances, economy etc. Brand name center console and offshore cuddy boats in the 17 to 24 foot range can pull skiers, water sports activities, crusie around with friends and family and all that and they are REAL seaworthy boats suitable for diving.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

There are lots of different leisure boats like you were looking at that can go into the ocean. However, you should avoid rough conditions as those boats typically are not designed for swells. Check out Proline boats, they have a few leisure boats with a deep-V that will probably work for all of your uses. As with any boat, there will be modifications for your personal use.

It's not the swells that will get you, it's the wind waves generated by local winds.
Most boats will just go up and over the long rollng swells.

 

[Florabama]

Here's one of my favs for diving, fishing and fooling around:

http://www.parkerboats.net/

And here's another similarly designed boat suitable for all of the above:

http://maycraftboats.com/index.html

 

[matt_unique]

It ultimately comes down to the Captain as the strongest and weakest part of any boat. While a GW or BW could survive a tidal wave the Captain, crew, and all gear would be long gone.

Definitely take a boater safety course at a minimum before doing anything on the ocean. Never do a radio check on channel 16, never leave port with weather data older than 4 hours, never go out into the ocean with just a cell phone, never leave port without local charts, etc., etc. Many ocean boaters do all these things every day in every brand of boat. Factor in the cost of a course as part of your purchase and accessorizing.

--Matt

 

[geoff3d]

I just wanted to thank everyone again for all this magnificent information. It really is appreciated.

Nice one.

 

[Nemrod]

The only good thing I can say for deck boats, party boats and pontoon boats and those flashy little lake boats is that if used in the ocean then someday with(out) luck they will make interesting dive sites for me to visit in my BW--lol! Hey, good luck, don't get in a hurry, time is with you, make a good choice that you will be happy with 10 or 20 years down the road. N

 

[Hank49]

It your going out on the ocean/saltwater, the most important thing is the drive. It should be stainless steel prop

Do you only need the stainless for use in saltwater? I've read (from stainless prop makers) that the advantage of them is they are more rigid and don't flex while rotating. This makes them more fuel efficient. They also last longer (and cost about three times as much) but the down side is that if you hit a rock or whatever, they don't bend so easily and since something has to give, it's likely going to be something internal on your drive unit, which ain't cheap. If the prop's aluminum and you bend it all to hell, you can still probably limp home, even if you don't have a spare on board. If you tear up the inner gears of the lower unit....just be sure you brought lots of water, food and some games to play while waiting for a tow home.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Do you only need the stainless for use in saltwater? I've read (from stainless prop makers) that the advantage of them is they are more rigid and don't flex while rotating. This makes them more fuel efficient. They also last longer (and cost about three times as much) but the down side is that if you hit a rock or whatever, they don't bend so easily and since something has to give, it's likely going to be something internal on your drive unit, which ain't cheap. If the prop's aluminum and you bend it all to hell, you can still probably limp home, even if you don't have a spare on board. If you tear up the inner gears of the lower unit....just be sure you brought lots of water, food and some games to play while waiting for a tow home.

When you venture into salt water...
In addition to all the standard safety equipment:
Take a GPS - even a hand-held is better than nothing.
Take both cell phone and VHF radio.
Take a spare prop. That's much more important than what the one you're running's made of.
If you're single engine, take a "kicker" - a small outboard that can bring you home in case the main engine dies. You may or may not need to install a special mod to the transom for this.
Plenty of chain; plenty of scope...
etc.
etc.
etc...
There are extremely expensive ways to go safely into the sea, and there are somewhat less expensive ways... but if it's cheap it's most likely dangerous. (and just because it's expensive it ain't necessarily good, either. Caveat Emptor and all that rot)
Rick